Senator Keith King, R-Colorado Springs and several other Republican Senators stated their opinion in a letter to the State Board of Education asking them not to adopt the federal government's National Common Core State Standards.
Adopting the federal standards enhances the state's chances of receiving a one-time grant of $175 million in the "Race to the Top" competition, but Sen King is concerned about the strings attached. He and others that signed the letter do not think it's wise to change Colorado's education standards in order to be eligible for the one-time funding. They believe the state, not the federal government, knows what's best for Colorado's students.
“It concerns me that state dollars will eventually have to be used to fund the mandate, once the federal funds run out,” said King. “The state has already been forced to make cuts to education and this will only exacerbate the problem.”
The letter also states that if passed, Colorado would most likely have to participate in a national assessment that would in turn “dumb down our standards to the lower federal level.” Currently Colorado has rigorous writing assessments, which King says would likely have to be dropped, as it would be too expensive to continue on its own.
A public meeting is being held on Monday, August 2nd, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. at the State Board of Education offices. The State Board of Education will meet later in the day to make their decision on whether or not to adopt the federal government's National Common Core State Standards.